3 Secrets to Keeping Your Skin Game Tight in Your 30s

Panicking about turning thirty is so last decade. Instead of being a cause for anxiety, blowing out 30 candles on a birthday cake now comes with an invisible badge of credibility, confidence, and overall authenticity.

But when you turn the big 3-0, your skin goes through some major changes that call for a shake-up in your normal skincare regimen.

Once you hit your thirties, you’re probably a little closer to nailing down the healthy diet and exercise aspect of your lifestyle. But other factors like sun damage, prolonged stress, and a slight drop in estrogen levels will impact skin’s look and texture.

In your thirties, you’ll start to notice fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes and lips. As collagen and elastin levels in skin decline (the two compounds that contribute to elasticity and firmness), your skin cells no longer turn over as quickly as they did in your twenties. The result? Skin that’s more dull, less even-toned, and scattered with a few fine lines that require a little extra love.

So give your skin the TLC it deserves. With just a few simple steps, you can keep your face looking smooth, radiant—and youthful.

Eat more fat for better skin

Seriously. We’re giving you permission to eat more fat—but the good kind, of course. Plump up your skin cells by adding more medium and long-chain triglyceride-laden foods into your diet like coconut oil, avocado, olives, and fatty fish. Another way to beat wrinkles is to eat more beans and legumes. Research shows that adults that ate more legumes had less wrinkling in their skin over the long run, and though it’s not exactly clear why, it’s worth adding this vegan-friendly source of protein and fiber into your meals a few times a week.

Focus on exfoliating and brightening

Encourage quicker skin turnover by exfoliating a few times a week. Wash and dry your face, then gently buff the exfoliant onto dry skin, moving in small circles on the cheeks, forehead, chin, nose, and chest. Add a little bit of water to activate the scrub, and keep massaging skin for a few minutes before you rinse. Sloughing off the top layer of skin will reveal brighter skin immediately, and can help reduce fine lines. If your complexion looks dull, try products infused with vitamin C. A natural brightener, this vitamin can eliminate brown spots and sun damage while boosting collagen and skin’s firmness.

After exfoliating and brightening, protect your skin with moisturizing skin oils and a strong SPF. Argan and rosehip oils are both excellent for keeping skin clear and moisturized without clogging pores, and you can use them after your morning moisturizer or in the evening. As for sunscreen, stick to anything above 30 SPF. Sunscreen can contain toxic chemicals that can be absorbed through your skin into your body, so pick one that’s paraben– and phthalate-free.

Supplement your skin wisely

Much like the vitamin-dense creams and lotions you’re smoothing onto your skin, you want to continue to boost your nutrition factor with vitamin E and vitamin C. Both will help your body eliminate the free radicals that naturally occur from sun exposure, air pollution, smoking, and toxins you ingest through food. Because you also want to pay special attention to skin’s elasticity and firmness, try supplementing some collagen into your diet. You’ll notice a difference in your hair, skin, and nails within six weeks; simply add a tablespoon or two into your morning coffee, bake into muffins, or blend into a smoothie.

The CliffsNotes version of what you need to know about your skin in your thirties? Keep it hydrated and exfoliated, and make sure you protect your skin with antioxidants and sunscreen to keep wrinkles and dark spots from sneaking up on you.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont